Greenwood Police Chief Terrence Craft said Tuesday that an incident of gunfire Monday night illustrates an important concern for those fighting violent crime in Greenwood.
Craft said his department was notified that a 16-year-old Greenwood male had been shot following a domestic incident around 11 p.m. at a residence in the Crestview area.
Craft said someone reported to the police that his handgun had been stolen by a juvenile. Police officers made contact with the juvenile, and the juvenile’s stepfather allegedly discovered the stolen handgun in his stepson’s backpack, Craft said.
The teenager and the stepfather got into an altercation, and the gun went off, striking the teenager in the thigh, Craft said.
The teenager was taken to a hospital in Jackson and was in stable condition Tuesday afternoon, Craft said.
During the argument with his stepfather, the teenager said “I need that gun” several times, the chief said.
“A 16-year-old shouldn’t be crying about ‘I need that gun. I need that gun in my hand.’ That needs to be addressed,” Craft said.
No charges had been filed in the shooting or the theft of the gun Tuesday.
Craft spoke at a press conference held by city leaders Tuesday afternoon to explain the state-of-emergency resolution passed by the City Council on Monday in response to four homicides last week.
The resolution “will enable our police department to take whatever action is required to provide safety in our city,” Mayor Carolyn McAdams said. “It will allow us to reach out to other local and governmental enforcement agencies for assistance — for example, the Sheriff’s Department or the Mississippi Highway Patrol, and even some of the federal agencies.
“This sad and senseless wave of brutality must and will be stopped. We will be using every available resource to restore calm to our community,” she said.
McAdams was joined by Craft, City Council members Charles McCoy and Ronnie Stevenson, and Lt. Edgar Gibson, a police detective.
Craft expressed his “deepest condolences” to those who lost loved ones in shootings last week. He said his job is to keep both citizens and his officers safe.
He said he has told his officers to be more visible in the community. Although crime can’t always be solved with overpolicing, the chief said, “we still have to show that strong force in the community.”
Craft said he’s been speaking with citizens about putting together programs that can reach young people and convince them to give up their firearms.
Asked about the fear that those who report crimes will face backlash, Craft said they should call the CrimeStoppers tip line, 1-800-222-8477, since their identities are kept anonymous.
Craft also said his department is working on community policing, ensuring that officers are present not just to respond to crimes but also to show up for positive situations. McAdams also encouraged residents to use CrimeStoppers and said the police have been engaging themselves in the community.
She said the city needs to provide stronger guidance to apartment complexes, where some shootings have occurred, and that the city will continue to add and install more surveillance cameras each budget year.
Several residents who attended Monday’s special called City Council meeting complained that they were not allowed to give input on the issue of gun violence.
McAdams said Tuesday that she and Craft keep their doors open and are willing to listen to anyone who wishes to speak with them.
She said that she and the chief had met with several residents Monday night who had said that they wanted to help address crime and that the city has financially supported community organizations in the past.
The Greenwood chapter of the Black Lives Matter movement is hosting a community forum on gun violence via Zoom beginning 6 p.m. Wednesday. It will also be livestreamed on the Black Lives Matter Greenwood’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
Robert Wilson Jr., who founded the chapter, said the forum was organized since many conversations about Greenwood’s gun violence problem were being held, particularly on Facebook.
“We wanted to make sure we brought all of that into one place where people can have those discussions,” he said, adding that he hoped solutions also can be discussed.
He said he was offended by some of the comments made during Monday’s council meeting, such as references to improving parenting. Gun violence is a multi-faceted issue, he said.
For more information on the forum, visit https://ift.tt/34k742c.
- Contact Gerard Edic at 581-7239 or gedic@gwcommonwealth.com.
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May 26, 2021 at 07:52PM
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Mayor: Violence 'sad, senseless'; Craft says gunfire incident illustrates issues - Gwcommonwealth
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